The national energy program announced today by President Bush is "a useful first step" toward recognizing the value of wind and other renewable energy sources, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said.

AWEA said it is pleased that the Administration plan calls for extension of the federal wind energy production tax credit (PTC) and for a review of previously-proposed cuts in federal renewable energy research and development (R&D) funding.

"Extending the PTC and revisiting the R&D budget cuts are important and valuable actions," commented AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher, "but there is still much to be done if we are to have an energy policy that is truly balanced among conventional energy sources, efficiency, and renewables."

Swisher said further action is needed to develop a "serious renewable energy agenda for the nation."  For wind, he said, additional necessary measures include

* A 30% investment tax credit for small wind systems (below 75 kilowatts in capacity, suitable for household or small business use).

* A directive to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take steps to integrate intermittent electricity-generating resources like wind into the electric utility transmission system.

* A Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), which would require that a certain minimum percentage of electricity generated in the U.S.--AWEA has previously endorsed 10% by the year 2010--be produced by new renewable energy power plants.

* A requirement that federal government agencies purchase an increasing percentage of their energy needs from renewable energy suppliers.

* Increased R&D funding to continue driving the price of wind-generated electricity down.

"The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has recently raised its target for installed wind capacity in the European Union for 2010 from 40,000 MW to 60,000 MW," said Swisher, "because it has become evident that the lower target will be surpassed."  Sixty thousand megawatts of wind generating capacity are equivalent to 20 to 25 new 1,000-MW nuclear power plants.

AWEA said it projected in 1995 that global installed wind capacity would reach 18,500 MW (requiring investment of roughly $18 billion) by 2005.  Instead, that total will be surpassed before the end of this year.

In the U.S., wind energy's growth is surging, with about 1,500 MW of new capacity likely to be installed this year, a 60% increase over the approximately 2,600 megawatts (MW) that were on line at the end of 2000.  By year's end, U.S. wind capacity will be nearly triple what it was at the end of 1997, just four years earlier.  Texas alone will account for about a third of the new additions and will more than triple its wind energy generating capacity this year.

"Wind plants can be built much more quickly than other power plants, and they are a clean, affordable source of electricity," Swisher said.  "U.S. wind energy potential is vast--equal to or exceeding the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.  We need a far more aggressive plan to make use of it."